


I don't feel enough for you to cry

by Complete_Otakuness



Series: Only The Unlucky Ones [2]
Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica, 전지적 독자 시점 - 싱숑 | Omniscient Reader - Sing-Shong
Genre: Alternate Universe - Madoka Magica Fusion, Angst, Blood and Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Not In Chronological Order, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, This is a pmmm au what were you expecting?, but it would probably help a lot, i don't think you need previous pmmm knowledge for this since i explain everything anyway, i've been way too obsessed with pmmm aus lately, kdj is a conspiracy theorist, no beta we die like gilyoung's crickets, so now i'll infect this fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 03:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29482617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Complete_Otakuness/pseuds/Complete_Otakuness
Summary: The sadness-filled adventures of Kim Dokja and his merry band of magic users as they try to protect Seoul from witches.
Relationships: Han Sooyoung & Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja & Kyubey (PMMM), Kim Dokja & Lee Gilyoung, Kim Dokja & Yoo Jonghyuk, Kim Dokja & Yoo Sangah, Lee Gilyoung & Shin Yoosung, Lee Gilyoung & Yoo Sangah & Kim Dokja & Han Sooyoung, Shin Yoosung & Yoo Jonghyuk
Series: Only The Unlucky Ones [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165550
Comments: 16
Kudos: 31





	1. Lee Gilyoung

**Author's Note:**

> I'm calling the magic users in this AU "incarnations" just to fall a little more in line with the fact that it's for ORV.

A yelp escaped Lee Gilyoung as he was knocked aside, his spiked club flying out of his grip and landing a few meters across from him. Too far to grab. Blood ran down his face and little bits of gravel had gotten stuck in the multitude of stab wounds and scrapes he had accumulated in his rather one sided battle.

He was a new incarnation, having just made his contract with Kyubey a few days ago, and had wanted to get used to his new powers. Unfortunately for him, he was too excited and hadn’t properly planned for fighting a witch.

Thinking he could take on the embodiment of despairing insanity without ever having actually seen one before was too much of an oversight. Power didn’t necessarily equate to victory, he belatedly realized.

He was going to die here wasn’t he? Gilyoung silently apologized to his mom, he had made a mistake again… though this one was going to be fatal.

A few frustrated tears escaped his eyes, and he stared down the monster.

It very slightly resembled a dragon outfit that children would make during a bout of boredom. Each overlapping scale was a poorly indigo colored diamond of cardboard, the wings scrappy bits of fabric that were taped to silver wires. All that made up the witch’s head was a single cardboard box, slits cut out for eyes and a larger one for its mouth. Its claws looked like the children had decided to stick the handles of kitchen knives into boxes so that only the blades were visible. This was similar to the feet of the witch as well, and its tail was an especially bent cardboard box, each dent further misshaping it until it wasn’t a box anymore. 

All in all, it wasn’t a very scary creature. In fact it looked a little comical. Something to present to your parents for them to compliment you on your artistic abilities. The only real anomaly to it were the black flames that spewed from gaps in its armor and the fact that it could move like it was alive. 

The most formidable part of this witch was its labyrinth. It materialized as an abyss, a clouded moon looking over small climbing ledges and deep shadows housing glowing red eyes. The ground was a grey color and so loose that every step caused a minor rock slide. As it turned out, Gilyoung had slipped during one of those and that had rendered him vulnerable to a slashing attack from the witch’s claws, throwing him into the craggy wall of the labyrinth. Tendrils of shadow creeped their way out of nearby crevices and reached for him as Gilyoung tried to push himself up.

The hollow sound of running could be heard echoing from above and suddenly the thin blade of a sword was protruding from the flimsy chest of the witch. It growled and it’s gaze immediately left its victim in favor of this new annoyance.

“Hey kid, I don’t want to steal your kill or anything but do you need help?” A voice yelled down to Gilyoung from out of the abyss. It reverberated and Gilyoung’s eyes slowly raised to see a man with black hair pulling out another sword from his white coat as the witch flew up to meet him. He was quite plain and Gilyoung couldn’t even fully see his face. But in that moment, with his longsword glowing in the foggy silver light of the labyrinth, Gilyoung thought his savior looked like a knight, ready to do battle with a fearsome dragon.

After fending off a few attacks from the witch, the man hopped down to meet Gilyoung. He offered a hand and Gilyoung numbly grabbed it, letting himself be pulled up to a standing position. 

They both stared at each other for a short moment before the man said, “You’re bleeding.” Gilyoung silently nodded, not taking his eyes off the man’s face. 

“...You do know that you can use your soul gem to heal yourself right?” Another silent nod. A brief look of awkwardness flickered across that man’s expression before he sighed.

“Well, catch up if you don’t want me to take the grief seed.” He turned around and leapt off the ledge. 

Gilyoung watched him before shouting, “Okay!” and grabbing his fallen weapon. He mimicked the man and took a running leap onto another ledge, hopping up to the top of the abyss.

The man blocked a jab from the witch’s claws with his sword and yelled, “You hit it when I move!” He used the parry to make the witch lose its balance and jumped to the side, providing an opening for Gilyoung to bash its head with his club. A crumpled dent appeared. The man ran to the witch’s left flank and slashed at one of its cardboard legs, metal sword cutting through it like butter. When the witch twisted its neck to snap its jaws angrily at the man, Gilyoung then took the opportunity to put a hole in its other side. 

The battle was mainly a rinse and repeat of this system, and together Gilyoung and the man weakened the witch rather easily. 

The witch tried to swipe at Gilyoung, which the man blocked and shouted, “Go!” 

And in that final hit to the head, the witch finally crumpled in on itself and the black flames consumed its body. 

Gilyoung stood there, gasping, as the labyrinth warped around him and the man and returned to the reality of a playground in Seoul. The sun was setting and all the kids who had previously been playing there had already gone home for dinner. 

It was just Gilyoung and the man.

His white coat shattered into white stars, and replacing it was a plain grey suit. He really looked like a stereotypical office worker, no one would know from his appearance that the man had fought a dragon and saved the life of a child. 

He walked forward, bent down and picked up a small black trinket. 

The man tossed it to Gilyoung, who caught it, and said, “You should probably turn back now, your outfit is likely to draw attention.” Gilyoung did as the man said, and looked at the object in his hand. It was an obsidian orb, silver wiring supporting it and forming a needle sharp point on one end and a blunted shape on the other. When he looked back up, the man was already walking away.

“Wait!” The man paused and turned around, a quizzical expression on his face.

Gilyoung ran to catch up with him and asked, “What do I do with this?”

“You press it against your soul gem to cleanse it. Did Kyubey really not tell you this?” Gilyoung glanced down and pulled his soul gem from his pocket. Its bright green was swirling with a darker pigment. 

The man sighed and held out his right hand, “Here, I’ll show you.” The ring on his middle finger warped into a white soul gem that settled in the palm of his hand. Like Gilyoung’s, it was dim and small dark flecks floated in its depths. From the breast pocket of his suit, the man pulled out another grief seed and tapped it against his soul gem. It glowed as the grief seed separated the darkness from the light and absorbed it. It transformed back into a ring when the light show was over.

The man slipped his ring back on his finger and turned to Gilyoung. “Now you try.” Gilyoung copied the man and watched as his soul gem returned back to its original color.

“When using grief seeds, keep in mind that if they absorb too much, they’ll hatch into another witch. They usually only have one or two uses, though that depends on how much magic you expend. The one that I just used, for example, should probably be thrown away soon. If you see Kyubey around, he’ll eat them for you.”

“Will you help me again next time too, Hyung?” The man stiffened for a second before chuckling lightly.

“Sure. Call me using telepathy next time you’re free.” Gilyoung’s eyes lit up excitedly. “I’m Kim Dokja, what’s your name?”

“Lee Gilyoung!”

“See you later, Gilyoung. Don’t keep your mom waiting.” They waved goodbye, promises of meetings to come later making Lee Gilyoung too excited to sleep and Kim Dokja too anxious to focus on his webnovels. 

There was yet another person too hasty to make a wish they would regret. Yet another person cursed by Kyubey’s deception. Yet another person Kim Dokja was too late to save.


	2. Yoo Sangah

“Sangah-ssi.”

Yoo Sangah hid her soul gem behind her back as she turned around -she hoped that its faint orange glow was concealed- to be face to face with one of her coworkers. Kim Dokja. He was a very quiet person, and she had never seen anyone talk to him, much less actively seek out someone. 

But here they were, the only two people in a rather sketchy part of Seoul, staring at each other in silence. It was well past sunset, the sky a dark blanket over the glowing city. Ordinarily, if Sangah had met a man in a place where there were sure to be no witnesses, they were scumbags who she would feel no remorse in putting her self defense skills to use against. But clearly Kim Dokja was here for a separate reason. She didn’t take him for the type to try anything anyway.

“Dokja-ssi,” Sangah greeted back politely, albeit terse. He seemed to hesitate a moment before revealing the reason for his sudden appearance.

“I didn’t know you made a contract.” She froze, eyes widening in shock at his seemingly nonchalant statement. To any normal passerby (of which there were none) it might seem like the two were talking about a vague business deal. However, this conversation put Sangah on edge.

“I don’t…” Her shocked protest trailed off as Dokja held up his right hand silently. There was a silver band on his middle finger, runes engraved in the sides, and a white jewel in the center that was giving off a faint glow.

Now it was Sangah’s turn to hesitate before she explained, “I made my contract a week ago.”

His eyebrows raised slightly, taking in the information before moving on, “You’re tracking a witch, aren’t you.”

Her posture shifted to a defensive stance, “Are you planning on taking it instead?” She hadn’t met another incarnation, and not knowing if a fight over the grief seeds that resulted from killing a witch would ensue, she considered it better to be cautious.

Dokja smiled slightly, “I didn’t come here to fight. Just to deliver a warning.” Other than that, though, he didn’t move. Maybe he really did just want to have a conversation after all.

“Oh, then I’m sorry.” Sangah didn’t want to make enemies of other incarnations so quickly, and she immediately doubted her previous action. She relaxed her body and returned to a normal standing position.

“No, that was a smart move,” he reassured her, “Most incarnations don’t like sharing their prey. Speaking of, the territory you’re about to enter is someone else’s. She’s quite dangerous and I don’t think she’ll be kind to a new incarnation.”

“Then is this your territory?” Sangah really didn’t want to start a fight, especially not with someone who she would be seeing the next day.

Dokja answered casually, “Yes, it is. I would prefer not to share it, though I suppose that’s what I’ve been doing as of late.” Seeing her expression change, he hurriedly continued, “There is a place east of here that’s free though. The incarnation who had it recently died so there are quite a few witches for you to hunt there.”

Sangah decided to trust him, “I see, I’ll be sure to stay out of your way then. Thank you.”

He nodded, “See you tomorrow, Sangah-ssi.” 

He watched her go as she made her way down the street, but didn't move from his spot.

‘Han Sooyoung there's a witch.’

She didn't acknowledge his warning, though Dokja could tell she heard him. 

Thirty minutes later she answered through telepathy.

‘I would've found it without your help. It was close.’

He rolled his eyes. 

‘At least you killed it before it could do any more damage.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really satisfied with how short this is but I suppose it was going to be a short interaction no matter what.


	3. Akir the Unlovable Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name 'Akir' means a lot of things, but it means 'alone', 'faith', and 'beloved' for this.

The labyrinth was an odd one. It was almost entirely pitch black, the only light sources being small drippy candles stuck to the corners of too-tall bookshelves. The books peeking out of the shelves were all leaking a strange tar-like ooze, the echoing drip of the substance falling to the floor being one of the only sparse sounds. 

The wax from the candles mixed with the liquid in small lumpy puddles on the floor, soaking the corners of the furniture that touched the ground right beside them. The air was thick with dust, and Lee Gilyoung had a tough time trying to hold in a cough. He, as well as the two others with him, had the overbearing sense that they should be quiet. 

A collective cringe ran through the group every time one of them stepped on one of the loose papers scattered around. The papers were accompanied by the stringy bindings of once-books, seemingly hinting that someone had torn up books and thrown them around in frustration.

To make the labyrinth even more eerie, none of the witch’s minions could be found. As the three incarnations made their way through the never-ending library, not a single creature was seen lurking amongst the warped bookshelves.

With nothing but the silent dripping of the books and shattering crunching of papers underneath his feet, a creeping anxiety began to grip Gilyoung. He began to quicken his pace, the two women behind him matching stride. One -Han Sooyoung- was trying to hide her fear, her posture relaxed but her darting eyes giving away her true apprehension. The other -Yoo Sangah- looked too concerned to be afraid, her eyebrows pinched in a concentrated frown. 

Kim Dokja had introduced Gilyoung to both on separate occasions, saying that the two were in constant conflict and that they would surely make a scene if they ever locked eyes. It seemed that worry for their mutual friend was enough to put that aside for now though. They were at least willing to cooperate.

None of the three had transformed yet. Though this was customary when entering a labyrinth and having their weapons equipped was better for defense when they made it to the heart of the labyrinth, the group was still clinging onto a fragile hope. That they wouldn't have to fight this witch.

Gilyoung suddenly broke into a sprint, yelling, “Hyung!” 

Sangah ran after him, “Gilyoung don’t run ahead!” Sooyoung just sighed before following right behind too.

The crunching papers underneath their feet began sounding like broken glass and all of a sudden all the movement stilled. The noise petered off into quiet.

Gilyoung had stopped running, Sangah and Sooyoung also frozen in their spots, staring ahead. Something had finally appeared.

“Ruhig!” The creature in front of them whispered loudly, “Dies ist eine Bibliothek!”

It was an old beat-up smartphone, its glowing screen displaying a shushing emoticon along with a message of its previous words.

“I-it said ‘Quiet, this is a library.’” Sangah stuttered. All of a sudden, muffled whispers filled the air and the prickling feeling of being watched crept along the napes of their necks. No longer was the library an empty shell.

“Mörder!”

“Schwach!”

“Hässlich!”

“Stirb einfach!”

Though the only person who could understand the words was Sangah, the other two were equally disturbed. Mocking laughter and giggles seemed to be coming from every surface, taunting them.

The three continued running, pushing past the phone and trying to escape the whispers. But they still followed.

“Nutzlos!”

“Sinnlos!”

“Geh weg!”

Books began wobbling off the shelves, their sticky pages flapping and taking to the air. Some even caught on fire, having brushed a melted candle nearby on their way.

Han Sooyoung let out a frustrated yell, “Kim Dokja where are you?”

As if Sooyoung had written the scene herself and planned the timing, once the words passed her lips the group was pulled to the deepest part of the labyrinth, the fluttering and crackling noises of the flaming books hot on their heels. It was much like running on a never-ending treadmill. 

Doors opened in layers to a grassy hill surrounded by piles upon piles of books. The only spotlight on a large lonely book left lying open in the center. It was as quiet as the rest of the place, the only exception being a quiet sobbing. It sounded like the voice of a child. Trying to find the source was no use, the voice bounced off nonexistent walls and rang in their ears.

When the group made no move to approach it, the book in the center moved slowly. Its pages melted upwards, and formed a delicate white rose on a thin stem. Its bowed head raised to face them, two roughly scribbled eyes messily attached to the petals. Tears of ink dropped from the eyes and gathered in the binding of the book the witch grew out of. And though they were faint, another set of dried tears -real tears this time- were visible on the blank pages of the book. As if someone had cried over the emptiness of the book.

The incarnations watched the witch’s jerky movements, a stilted cycle of bowing and shaking its head as its childlike crying filled the dusty air around them. Sangah was the first to step forward, leaving Sooyoung to hold Gilyoung back as she approached the lonesome witch.

“Dokja-ssi?” The witch didn’t meet her eyes, still weeping over the pages of its empty book. The ink was drenching the entire book, eating up the tear stains and spilling over the sides of the binding. The grass on the top of the hill started to be consumed too.

“Dokja-ssi please come back.” Little streams were now running from the top of the hill, the witch increasing the volume of its bawling. Its tears were reaching the sea of books at the incarnations’ feet and tainting their pages too. 

Sooyoung noticed the change before anyone else, springing up the hill past Sangah and carrying Gilyoung with her. Sangah didn’t have time to voice her annoyance before she too had to jump out of the way and follow the other two. Gilyoung, confusedly, peeked around Sooyoung to see what had the two adults so panicked. 

The ink that was falling from the witch’s doodled eyes had soaked into the piles of books that bordered the hill. Wet papier-mâché melded itself together from the black papers to create an arrayed army of minions. There were werewolves with bared teeth, robots with tangled wires, pirates wielding cutlasses, Korean soldiers marching in neat troops, and so many more. 

“Shit!” Sooyoung cursed, “We’re surrounded!”

“Dokja-ssi don’t do this!” Sangah yelled at the same time that Gilyoung shouted, “Hyung please stop!”

Nevertheless, the wolves prepared to spring on their prey and the soldiers readied their guns.

Sooyoung smiled bitterly, “There’s only one way out of this.” She didn’t need to say any more, the other two knew.

They had to kill the witch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing labyrinths is tough because you have to slightly tone down the insanity in order for it to fit into any semblance of a coherent description.


	4. Shin Yoosung

Delighted giggles accompanied by terrified screams and the horrifying sound of flesh being torn was what caught Kim Dokja’s attention. 

He had been catching up on the latest chapter of a webnovel, going home to make dinner when disturbing noises carried over from another street over. Peering in between the gaps of buildings, he spotted a woman with long hair tied in a ponytail. Her lips were pulled back in a deranged smile and Dokja saw blood dripping down her chin like drool. He could just make out a strange marking on the nape of her neck when she turned her head to jump at another victim.

It was a tiny glass bottle pouring out a single drop of umber liquid. Not exactly the most attractive of tattoos to get.

It was a Witch’s Kiss.

Dokja grimaced. He hated that witches were always more active when he was off work and just wanted to go home. The setting sun was beginning to turn the sky orange and he stealthily slipped his way in between buildings. The girl continued her assault, the sixth person to feel her wrath just cowering against a wall and whimpering as her overly sharp nails tore at their arms. 

Walking over to the two, Dokja put his hand on the girl’s shoulder and asked, “Should you really be doing this?” The girl growled and blindly swung an arm at him, which he easily avoided by taking a few steps back. 

His gaze then fell on the woman’s victim, “Get out of here.” They blinked at him with teary eyes before nodding and stumbling off. At least the authorities wouldn’t be coming so quickly. The woman growled at Dokja, he had interrupted her so of course she’d be mad.

When she lunged forward to attack him, Dokja muttered, “I’m sorry.” When people possessed by witches were aggressive, it was near impossible to get to the labyrinth without fighting and injuring at least one. Luckily this witch was weak, seeing as it poured all its power into only one person. 

‘It must be desperate for food,’ Dokja mused as he dodged the woman’s arm and shoving her to knock her off balance. Taking the opportunity to transform, he pulled a ribbon from his coat and restrained her before she could go for another attack. Looking around, he saw a lamppost and hung the woman from it. She was thrashing around like a caged animal, but when he defeated the witch the woman would be back to normal.

Dokja plastered an overly confident smile on his face. “Don’t worry, when you’re back to normal I’ll let you down. Just stay put,” he told her.

Opening the labyrinth, he let out a sigh. She had killed five people, but wouldn’t remember any of it. She’d just wake up with dead bodies around her. He felt pity, witches dragged innocent people in danger. If only they’d take the actually bad people too.

Dokja walked through, pushing away his pity on the way to the labyrinth’s heart. Emotions didn’t do any good in these situations anyway.

\---

Warping back into reality was always nauseating. It certainly didn’t help that Dokja had been drenched in a sticky liquid that smelled heavily like alcohol. He’d have to shower twice later. 

Picking up the fruits of his labors and pocketing it, he belatedly looked up.

“Dammit.” The words were regretfully spat out, and hung in the air like a cloud.

Before him was a scene worse than what he had left. Sure, the bodies of the five victims were still there, but two more had joined them. One was the woman that he had left tied up, and the other was the sixth victim.

Glancing over the bodies, it was obvious what had happened. The witch had switched its control over to the sixth person and continued on with its killing spree before Dokja could finish it off. The woman’s body was still hanging from the lamppost, and the other was laying on the ground below her. Both throats had been torn open. 

Hurriedly, Dokja took back the bloodsoaked ribbon. He laid down the woman’s body carefully, and walked back through the way he came.

In the end, he couldn’t save anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone was wondering, the 41st regression Yoosung is the young Shin Yoosung's older sister. This situation caused more problems than Dokja realized.


	5. Lee Gilyoung [2]

“Hyung, what did you wish for?” 

The question was a bit out of the blue. Gilyoung didn’t know why he asked and wasn’t quite sure what answer he was expecting.

The two incarnations were walking along a dimly lit sidewalk after another witch hunt. Usually it was a walk of silence back to Gilyoung's house and then Kim Dokja would continue hunting witches because “growing boys need their sleep”.

Dokja turned to look at him, “Do you want to gauge what your wish was really worth?”

When Gilyoung said nothing, he continued, “I think your wish was a good one.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, if you can still put it to use and enjoy its benefits, you made a good wish. And you like having the ability to talk to insects, right?” A smile was on Dokja’s face, though Gilyoung could always tell when he faked it.

“Does that mean that yours was a mistake?” The smile faltered a bit.

“No, it’s still useful.”

“Then why do you regret it?”

Dokja shook his head, “Sometimes I wonder if any wish is really worth it.”

Gilyoung didn't ask what he meant. He knew Dokja was keeping the true nature of their job as incarnations a secret. What was so bad that he shouldn't know about it? 

“Sangah-ssi made a good wish though!” There he was again, avoiding the question.

Sometimes it really felt like Dokja was his third parent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick exposition on what Gilyoung wished for, and the short chapter I need to push the fic over to 4k words.


	6. Han Sooyoung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A regular meetup between Dokja and Sooyoung as they discuss mundane and not-so mundane things.

“Did you hear? Walpurgisnacht showed up in Japan last week.”

“Really? Glad we don’t have to deal with it, there’ve been too many witches in my territory for me to get distracted.”

“Well maybe if you didn’t insist on having control over such a large part of the city they would be more manageable.”

“And give up all those grief seeds? No thanks. I like living. Besides, it’s not like you’re any better.” 

It was a temporary truce. Usually incarnations would immediately start fights if they met an intruder in their turf, but not in this instance. Han Sooyoung prided herself at the sad fact that she was Kim Dokja’s only friend and him, her best informant. Unlike other incarnations, Dokja was generally amicable to others. So here they were, sitting at a café, discussing the latest news and their (specifically Dokja’s) life problems.

“The girls in Mitakihara City got stuck with it. I’m surprised it didn’t hit a major city like it normally does. There must have been an abnormally high amount of energy for it to absorb there.” 

“I mean, sure it’s odd, but don’t think too hard about it. At least it didn’t go for another major city. Seoul’s taken way too much damage to that thing, us big city incarnations need a break!”

“I guess but-”

“Instead of worrying about that, why don’t we talk about that guy I caught you with!” Sooyoung interrupted him, not willing to stress out about a problem that was happening in another country.

Kim Dokja’s concerns were replaced with a healthy fear of blackmail, “Yoo Jonghyuk?”

“Yeah, the one who looks like someone painted an angry face onto a brick wall.” 

He sighed in exasperation but couldn’t help the look of amusement that made its way onto his face, “I see why he didn’t like you very much.”

Sooyoung gasped in mock surprise, “But I’m so fun to be around!”

Dokja gave her a look and rolled his eyes, “Anyways, what about him?”

“What are you, of all people, doing with a hot guy like him.”

“If you wanted to know, why didn’t you just stick around instead of leaving so soon?”

“I was just making sure you weren’t stealing my grief seeds. Besides, it was obvious you needed some alone time with that guy.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dokja furrowed his eyebrows.

“Come on! Anyone could tell you like him! And by the way he treats everyone else, he likes you too.” At the look of confusion he sent her, Sooyoung’s eyes widened in shock, “No way… you actually don’t know?”

“No, he likes someone else. Besides, you know it would never work out anyway.” He looked down at the table, tracing along the dents in the wood.

“You’re right, with a face like that, I don’t think you two could have a long term relationship.” She joked, purposefully ignoring the real meaning behind her friend’s words.

“Har har,” Dokja wore a sarcastic expression, a fast change from his previously solemn one.

They fell back into light banter before bidding each other goodbye, a silent promise that if they ran into each other again before their next meeting it would be hostile.

The conversation about relationships was one that had been previously avoided, and now that it had been spoken of it weighed heavy in their minds. The role an incarnation played was meant to be a solo. After all, there was no telling when one could die, their bodies forever lost in a labyrinth. It put an unnecessary strain on loved ones, so it was better to cut all ties. Connections with other incarnations were also difficult to maintain. 

Even so, Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja were friends, surrounded themselves with people they loved, and were puppets that walked the dangerous path of those who sold their souls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it took so long for me to even minutely introduce Jonghyuk T-T


	7. Kyubey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyubey's ability to evade revealing the true nature of his agenda is honestly impressive.

Kyubey couldn’t understand. It couldn’t understand a lot of things that humans did. Getting stuck on discrimination was such a human thing to do. Something that an Incubator like itself wasn’t able to grasp, only appreciate the amount of energy the victims of such treatment produced. Tragedy gave way to new life, after all. And the humans with the strongest emotions became the perfect candidates to become incarnations.

Which was why it was here, proposing a contract. The person contemplating the offer was a particularly scrawny teen, bruises blooming on his skin and heavy shadows under his eyes. Other than that, the teenager could very well be described as plain. He was scrutinizing Kyubey with a look of thinly veiled amusement mixed with interest. Humans all reacted in varying ways, this teen in particular was abnormally accepting of the situation he was in. Almost eager.

“So, you’re saying that you’ll grant any wish I might have.”

“Yes. I will grant one wish. And in return, make a contract with me, and become an incarnation!”

“This sounds way too convenient. What’s the catch?” The teen chuckled.

Kyubey tilted its head, “Being an incarnation means fighting witches!”

“And these witches are dangerous?”

“Yes. But usually only if you let your guard down. With the power given to you as an incarnation, the battles are in your favor.”

A noncommittal “hm” came from the human. Kyubey knew vaguely what he was really thinking, though. The reason he had such magic potential was because he had something he wanted more than anything. High emotions created useful energy. 

It didn’t take long before he spoke again, “Kyubey, I want to make a contract with you.”

Kyubey perked its ears in attention. The teenager took a steady breath.

“I don’t want to feel sad or scared anymore. I don’t want to feel hurt anymore. I want to be able to turn off my emotions, even if it’s just for a short while.”

Kyubey sensed finality and said, “This is the wish that will make your soul gem shine bright. Now, go forward and fulfill your duty, Kim Dokja.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make KDJ's wish reflect his Fourth Wall skill. Not sure how plausible it is that he'd actually make a wish like this but oh well.


	8. Shin Yoosung [2]

Kim Dokja had opened the door of his apartment building to a disgruntled Lee Gilyoung and confused Shin Yoosung. Gilyoung had pushed past him standing in the doorway to plop down onto Dokja’s cheap couch, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

“Hyung are you trying to replace me?”

“What? What gave you that idea?” Dokja ushered Yoosung in and closed the door behind himself.

Gilyoung pointed at Yoosung, “If you’re not, then who’s that?”

“Ah, that’s Shin Yoosung.”

“What’s she doing here?” Why was Dokja letting himself be interrogated by an eleven year old?

A small sigh escaped him, “Yoosung’s going to be around here for a while.”

“What? Why?” Gilyoung’s jealous protest was met with a small smirk from Yoosung. Dokja didn’t think the ever-polite girl was even able to smirk. He walked over to his small kitchen to the fridge.

“She needs someone to take care of her after school while her guardians are working. I live just a story below from them so it worked out.” 

“But-”

“Do you want melon or grapes?” Dokja interrupted.

“Ooh, grapes!” Yoosung spoke up.

Gilyoung’s glare was directed to her, “No, melon!”

“Grapes are better!”

“Melon is!”

As the kids continued to squabble in the background, Dokja just decided to slice up the melon and put the grapes in a bowl to avoid the argument getting violent. When Shin Yoosung had walked up to him that morning, he had been confronted by her about her dead sister. She had seen him leaving the labyrinth the week prior, and had quite possibly been hiding in an alley when her sister’s sixth victim had come back for blood.

Being an adult unfortunately meant being responsible, so now Dokja had two kids to keep track of. He had to save both of them from a fate worse than death now. At least Kyubey hadn’t shown up to contract Yoosung. Since when had he become a babysitter?


	9. Yoo Jonghyuk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoo Jonghyuk doesn't know where Kim Dokja disappeared to, but the kids definitely do.

Kim Dokja was missing. Had been missing for almost a week now.

Now, normally Yoo Jonghyuk wouldn’t care too much about this, but Mia had insisted. She had said Shin Yoosung was sad and Lee Gilyoung wouldn’t talk to her. Not to mention the rest of Yoo Jonghyuk’s tentative acquaintance group also seemed lost at what to do now that Kim Dokja was gone. It was frustrating to have everything in their lives fall apart just because one person decided not to show up to a Friday night bar meetup.

Of course, he also wasn’t answering any calls or messages that everyone bombarded his phone with. It really was odd, the surest way of contacting Kim Dokja at any time was through his phone since the man always had it with him. He couldn’t be more attached to the damn thing if Heewon finally glued it to his hand like she constantly threatened.

Yoo Jonghyuk had visited Kim Dokja’s apartment multiple times, even going as far as asking Shin Yoosung for her key to get in. Kim Dokja had given one to Shin Yoosung and Gilyoung since they visited so much, saying that it was better for them to just let themselves in instead of waiting for him to get back from work. Shin Yoosung had agreed so, without leaving any room for hesitation, Yoo Jonghyuk unlocked the door and stepped in.

The apartment looked abandoned. Or, rather, it looked like someone didn’t live there and no one had bothered to clean it up for a new resident. There was a thin layer of dust on the refrigerator and on the glass coffee table, where it was most noticeable. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just as if Kim Dokja had left one day and never come back. 

“I don't think you'll find anything here. Gilyoung and I waited here a whole day and went through all of Ahjussi’s things but we don't know where he could have gone.” She was lying, Yoo Jonghyuk could tell. The two kids knew what had happened and it must be bad. It was why Lee Gilyoung wouldn't speak to anyone. But why would they try to cover it up?

Shin Yoosung had followed quietly behind him when he walked into the small apartment. Her eyes were cast down, watching her feet, as she stood in the entrance. Yoo Jonghyuk paid her no mind as he moved about and searched through drawers and behind couch cushions. Kim Dokja really needed a new couch, the one he had taken from that one sale was not passing the test of time. When he came back Yoo Jonghyuk was marching him straight to a furniture store. Right after he got a punch in the face.

“Kim Dokja didn’t say anything to you or Lee Gilyoung when he left?” Shin Yoosung jumped a bit at his voice before shaking her head.

“No, the last time we saw him was after school on Thursday. When we went on Friday to wait for Ahjussi to come back he never did.” Yoo Jonghyuk made a soft sound of acknowledgement before moving toward the bathroom to continue his investigation. He didn’t see it, but Shin Yoosung grimaced behind him. 

The bathroom was dim, and Yoo Jonghyuk flicked on the lights. Before he could take a step forward, his gaze fell to the floor and his eyes widened. The tiles were all pristine white, but it was the grout that caught Yoo Jonghyuk’s attention. It was all tinted a diluted red color, like red wine. Or blood. What had Kim Dokja been doing? 

Yoo Jonghyuk turned off the light and closed the door quietly. Turning around, he saw Shin Yoosung standing right behind him. Her head was turned to the side, and she had her hands clasped behind her back to hide her fidgeting. Shin Yoosung’s eyes flickered up to meet his before quickly averting them again. 

He turned around, deciding to interrogate her and Gilyoung later as he walked over to the single bedroom. Right as he reached the doorway, Shin Yoosung spoke up.

“U-um maybe you shouldn’t go in there. Ahjussi always said he didn’t want anyone to go into his room...” When Yoo Jonghyuk stared at her she trailed off uncomfortably. That meant that there might be something important in Kim Dokja’s room. Yoo Jonghyuk ignored the rest of Shin Yoosung’s nervous protests and opened the door. 

A cold blast of air hit him and Yoo Jonghyuk turned his attention to the left at the window that was open. What kind of idiot would leave a window open when they leave for work? He closed it and then surveyed the room. Kim Dokja’s bedroom was simple, with his nightstand and bed against the wall opposite to the door and a dresser full of clothes against the right wall. 

The thing that ruined its cheap simplicity was a corkboard that hung above the dresser filled with papers and very clichéd red string connecting them. Kim Dokja always was one for theatrics. But the contents of the corkboard were very unusual, even for whatever odd thoughts might fill Kim Dokja’s mind. Messy drawings of a misshapen cat creature and pictures of different colored ornamental eggs covered its surface. Scribbled notes and questions decorated the borders of a few drawings, and random photos of streets and building rooftops were tacked on along with everything else. In other words, it was a mess that Yoo Jonghyuk could not come close to deciphering. 

Shin Yoosung was a different story, however. He had heard her gasp and take a few small steps into the bedroom. Her wide eyes darted from image to image, taking it all in. The expression on her face was akin to having a terrifying realization.

“You know what this is.”

“N-no, I don’t. Ahjussi didn’t tell me about this…” Her gaze slipped to the side, focusing on something invisible. She was giving the space of air an even stronger look of horror than the corkboard. Then, as if possessed, Shin Yoosung turned around and ran out of the room, and the apartment.

Yoo Jonghyuk watched her go, and left soon after but not before taking a photo of the mysterious corkboard. He didn’t find much except for so many more questions. The children clearly knew something about where Kim Dokja had gone, and by Shin Yoosung’s reaction the likelihood of him just running away had plummeted. Kim Dokja had been researching something, that much was certain, and his disappearance was somehow related to it. Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t know what had happened to Kim Dokja, but he knew that Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung had the information he needed.

Yoo Jonghyuk was not going to let his friend disappear so easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it obvious that I just wanted KDJ to have a corkboard full of Kyubey conspiracies?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really unsure of how well I characterized the characters and the pacing of the story. Though since it's probably not going to be in chronological order I guess the pacing doesn't necessarily matter too much. I've decided that YSA and HSY are going to be the two additional magic-users that make an appearance in the future. Any feedback is appreciated!


End file.
